If you need to file for unemployment... get ready for the hold music

If you need to file for unemployment... get ready to listen to hold music

CRITICALLY LOW ON BLOODSUPPLIES.

GO TO "GIVE BLOODC-B-C DOT ORG."PARKING LOTS ARE EMPTY AND MANYSHOPS ARE CLOSED ACROSSSOUTHWEST FLORIDA TONIGHT.COVID-19 HAS PUT THOUSANDS OFPEOPLE OUT OF A JOB.BUT WE’RE LEARNING MANY OF THEMARE HAVING TROUBLE FILING FORUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.FOX 4 REPORTER ROB MANCH SPOKEWITH SEVERAL PEOPLE TODAY WHOJUST LOST THEIR JOBS.

HE HAS THESTORY FOR US FROM NAPLESTONIGHINTRO:The Florida Department ofEconomic Opportunity is SWAMPED.AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OFCOVID-19.PKG:The shopping centers look likeghost towns these days.Signs showing that everything isclosed.Nancy Martin, Trying to SeekUnemployment:"The place where Ito Seek Nancy Martin, Tryingeverything is closed.Signs showing that these days.look like ghost towns Theshopping centers look like ghosttowns these days.Nancy Martin, Trying to SeekUnemployment:"The place where I do aestheticwork is closed down, and myproperty management income rightnow is very debatable, because alot of my renters are out ofwork."Nancy Martin is one of thousandswho are scrambling right nowbecause of COVID-19."All of a sudden, my husbandgot laid off of his job, all ofour kids lost their jobs."Last week they started callingunemployment, but only to getthis.It’s a problem plenty of othersare facing as well."How many phones does it take toget assistance from emptyFlorida?"Nancy Swain in Sarasota postedthese videos to social media,showing her using three phonesto try to get through."I tried calling this morningprobably 40 or 50 times, and thephone call just ends up hangingup."Last week, I spoke with theDirector of the FloridaDepartment of EconomicOpportunity, who was tellingpeople how to file.Ken Lawson, FDEO Director:"I recommend going online, sothe system is not overwhelmed."But this music makes it soundlike the But this music makes itsound like the system is alreadyoverwhelmed.And Martin says, that’ssomething that needs to getfixed, fast."We’re hoping that thegovernment and Governor Desantisfixes this, because if hedoesn’t, he’s going to have alot of homeless, hungry people."TAG:I did reach back out to theFlorida Department of EconomicOpportunity today, but like alot of people, I haven’t heardback.And another side to this is thatSwain and Martin’s husband areboth immunodeficient, whichmakes them more susceptible tothe Coronavirus.That’s why they see unempl